A Demon Within
by King Charlie
Summary: Namikaze Menma has always been the strongest part of his three man squad, having to pull of the slack of an Uchiha that doesn't want to be a ninja while always making sure the Hokage's daughter isn't in harms way. When he starts to rely on his team it makes him feel weak, even more so, it makes him feel something towards Sasuke he knows he shouldn't
1. Prologue

"I'm not your boyfriend." Menma muttered out through gritted teeth. Sasuke kept up trailing him through the back alleys that he knew just as well as the other, much to the Namikaze's discontent about it as he was trying to loose him.

"How can you say that? After we've kissed, after what we've _done_." Sasuke placed heavy inflection on the end of his word, adding a whole layer of assumptions into it so that Menma would place his own version of what Sasuke meant without him having to give up what he was actually holding dear to him.

"Oh my fucking God!" Menma whipped around, grabbing Sasuke by the front of his shirt and pushing him up against the brick wall. If there had been enough light around the Uchiha would have seen that Menma was a little flushed even with the angry expression painted on his face.

"It was ONCE! And on a mission you asswod. You thing what happens out there even means anything? I just wanted to get off, the fact that you're the one that helped instead of my own hand means nothing." He dropped the male's clothing, letting him fall just that inch to the floor so they were each standing on their own feet now, Menma towering over Sasuke as he always had in a more metaphysical way than anything.

"I'm not your boyfriend so just go back to picking up a new girl every week to get off in and come crying back to Sakura just like you always do. Nothing's changed. I'm staying with Hinata and if you try to bring this shit up to her not only with she not believe you but she'll kick your ass worse then I will." Menma brushed off his jacket as if touching Sasuke had dirtied him some how. "Now, straighten up. I'll see you at the gates on Monday. Try to show up on time to, slacker."


	2. Chapter 1

Standing outside the gates, early for once, Sasuke started to feel like a fool. Sakura and their ever eager sensei where no where in sight but he knew by the sound of displaced air that Menma was in the tree behind him, waiting for the rest of their team to show up before he would drop down. He always would do this, act disinterested but be the first one up and ready to ship out when they were given a mission.

Sasuke turned his back to the other, acting just as uninterested but he was really paying more attention that Menma would be able to see. The act was fruitless as the Namikaze was the best sensory nin in their Rookie 9. He would be able to feel that Sasuke was focusing chakra to the bottoms of his feet and in his hands, even if he couldn't see that his sharingan was activated he would most likely be able to feel it with his own.

"Don't do it Uchiha." Came the warning from the tree that went ignored. Sasuke spun around to fling several kunai at Menma, aware that they wouldn't hit. Being son of the Yellow Flash meant he had picked up on several of his father jutsu, the most important being his speed. Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura had had seals placed on them when Menma has first been placed on a team together, giving him the ability to always flash towards them regardless of where they were in ever in danger.

Because of this and Menma's adept ability in getting stronger each day it took him less time to be behind Sasuke than it did for the Uchiha to even left the kunai leave his hands. Being born with a sharingan didn't give Sasuke greater control over it than Menma who had taken one that was always strong, Sasuke didn't have the same control or release as him.

With a the edge of a tanto pressed against the small of his teammates back Menma sighed out behind his mask, muffling his voice when he spoke to make it come out deeper. "Is there a reason you're so assed up this morning?"

Sasuke froze, he could already feel the point of the blade pressed through the fabric of his shirt. If he even twitched at this point it would cut into him, giving him the indication as always when he would act like this with Menma that the other was having none of it.

"I'm just tired of you always hiding out until the last second. Shouldn't you spend some time with your team instead of always acting better than everyone?" His answer was curt, muttered out between clenched teeth as he could feel Menma leaning into his blade to put weight into it, forcing Sasuke to wince and move forward.

"Why would I want to spend time with a lay around like you? You're not even interested in being a shinobi like some of us. This isn't a part time job, you don't get to just quit when you want. You retire into a grave." Menma replaced the tanto under his cloak and tilted his head to the side, the fox mask looking down on Sasuke in a judgmental fashion. "Where the rumors true and your father was so disappointed in you that he forced you to go just so he didn't have to look at you anymore?"

Something inside the Uchiha broke. It was one thing for other to poke fun at him when it came to his abilities but it was a hard slap in the face to hear it from Menma. They had never been close but he had always hoped that as they had been on a team together for five years now that maybe things could only go up from here. It seems he felt wrong.

"You know what Namikaze, I don't need to hear this shit from you. Just because I don't want this gig doesn't mean I don't put forth some effort into making this team stick together so stop treat me like a goddamn nuisance or I'm just done."

The threat made Menma just roll his eyes. "Were you even listening you brat?" As he was already annoyed after only spending less than five minutes around Sasuke he removed his mask, letting the peeved expression show on his face. "You don't get to quit you twat. You die from fighting or from age, which ever comes first. But by the looks of it I'll end up killing you before you give someone else another chance." Menma spat on the ground near his teammate to show his own disgust.

Right there is when Sasuke gave up. Menma didn't care about him on any level. The small intimate moments they had shared on their last mission really did mean nothing to him. There didn't seem to be any hope, even false, that things would be changing between them.

Sasuke's whole demenour between them changes. His shoulder slouched forward and the emotion fell from his face, he had really given up. "You always loved getting your way. Deal with it now." He walked forward, slamming his shoulder into Menma's when he moved passed him and head back to the Uchiha complex.

"Stop pouting princess! If I have to come drag you back you can bet your ass I'll beat it while you're outta Kakashi-sensei's sight!" Menma screamed back at him but his teammate for once didn't reply to his treat.

"You said what to him Menma-san!?" Sakura's voice when shrill as she screamed at him. Kakashi had been the next of Team 7 to show up in a full sprint, nearly taking Menma out on his way. It wasn't until Sakura came running towards them in fear of being late that he had fessed up into causing their generally late member to puff off in a hissy fit over exchanged words. "You will go apologize to him right now or so help me I will tell your mother to make you!"

Bringing Kushina into the situation would only exacerbate things further. Putting up his hands in defeat Menma agreed to try and make him come back. Tears sprung from Kakashi's eyes, the man throwing himself on Menma and clinging to him while screaming about the beauty of their youth.

With much prying Menma found he was unable to tangle himself from his sensei's unusually strong grip, having to again mimic his father's flying thunder god jutsu to teleport himself away from his team and into the heart of the Uchiha complex. He startled the shop own that he landed in front. After apologizing he made sure to ask if they had seen Sasuke walk passed them, preferring more to sneak up on him instead of appearing out of no where just to clobber him, the dude did at least deserve a chance after this mornings encounter. With the aid of the shop keepers information Menma was able to find Sasuke relatively easy.

Hoping into a tree he was able to see the younger of the Uchiha brother's sitting beside his mother at their koi pond. His head rested on her shoulder while she smoothed down his head in an attempt at comforting him. Menma's head cocked to the side. With the way Sasuke's shoulders where shaking he was almost sure that Sasuke was…crying…A sudden feeling of guilt set in Menma's heart.

Even through everything Sasuke _was_ his teammate and that meant trusting him with his life. He was hard on him the way most parents would be towards a son that had no drive what so ever, maybe even worse than he meant. Sasuke needed a push, Menma hopped to be that. His impatience had gotten the better of him, turning him into nothing more than a bully.

Landing in the grass Menma stood behind them, letting them both be well aware of his presence without actually interrupting them. Mikoto stood and nodded at Menma in acknowledgment, walking towards him and whispering to him in her gentle voice. "If you ever have my son come back in a state such as this you will be the one finding retirement sooner than on the battlefield. Do please remember your place, Namikaze-san." With a polite smile she turned back to Sasuke. "I'll let you too make your peace." Then left them alone as promised, showing Menma that she could be just as terrifying as his own mother.

Neither male seemed to want to speak up first, waiting for the other to give in and apologize for their own childish behavior so they wouldn't have to admit fault. They sighed at the same time, Menma toeing at the ground while Sasuke kicked the dirt.

"Look, I meant what I said. I think you're lazy and you don't have a reason to be here…but that doesn't mean you can't find one, okay? Just stop being such a brat all the time…I'll ease up." Menma spoke out first, hating the way that the silence roared around them.

"Just don't be such a dick to me like you're in charge or something. I don't need more people in my life yelling at me." Sasuke wiped at his face, making it seem more like he was just fooling with his hair than drying his eyes.

"You ready to head back then? Sakura is already impatient with me and it's still early." Menma's pockets shoved into his pockets casually, hoping that this would clear up the air between them without either person having to apologize truly.

Sasuke crossed his arms and turned around. "I told you, I'm not coming back." With a heavy eye roll and groan Menma slumped his shoulder, moving forward to spin Sasuke around. "What do you mean? You made your point, now come on! We need to leave before we get too set behind our schedule."

Sasuke pulled away again. "You didn't apologize and I don't feel any better, why would I come back with you?" He gave Menma a look to show that he wasn't kissing, with the way things were they were okay to speak but not work together.

"Okay fucking fine I'll apologize? Well that make you all better princess?" Menma couldn't help but roll his eyes, honestly not giving a shit on whether or not Sasuke felt better at this moment, him being late would lead Sakura to believe he didn't come for their teammate and her getting his mother. "Just come on, what do you want from me?"

After thinking for a moment Sasuke dropped his arms to his sides and smiled. "I want a hug." Seeing the look of disbelief on Menma's face he put a finger in the air to show he wasn't done. "Not just any hug, I want the same kind of _hug_ I gave you on our last mission."

"You gotta be fucking kidding me…" Menma stood stunned for a moment, arms falling as well as his expression with the exception on one brow that stayed high. "You want me to jerk you off?"


End file.
